Sliver-actuated stop motion



N V- 9 7 J. R. WHITEHURST 2,811,753

SLIVER-ACTUATED STOP MOTION Filed Jan. 50, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Joe P N/l/TA-l/UPS T;

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Nov. 5, 1957 J. R. WHITEHURST SLIVER-ACTUATED STOP MOTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1956 INVENTOR do: Q WHITE/I025)- ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY N 1957 J. R. WHITEHURST SLIVER-ACTUATED STOP MOTION Filed Jan. so, 1956 United States Patent f SLIVER-ACTUATED STOP MOTION Joe R. Whitehurst, Bessemer City, N. C., assignor to Ideal Industries, Inc., Bessemer City, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application January 30, 1956, Serial No. 562,152

5 Claims. (Cl. 19166) This invention relates to sliver processing machinery such as drawing frames, carding machines and the like and, more especially, to a novel stop motion actuating means for the coilers of such machines.

As is Well known in the art, slivers of textile fibers are coiled into cans by means of coiler mechanisms which generally include a tube gear or rotary member disposed immediately above the upper end of the can and having an upwardly and inwardly inclined coiler tube thereon whose upper end terminates substantially axially of the rotary element to form a mouth thereat, and a pair of calender rolls draws the sliver through a trumpet immediately thereabove and thence directs the sliver into and through the tube and into the can. Thus, the sliver is caused to move through the tube of the coiler mechanism by gravity and by the portion of the sliver which is being pulled through the trumpet by the calender rolls.

Now, the calender rolls are spaced closely above the tube of the coiler mechanism and are usually shielded from view of the operator and it quite often happens that the mouth of the inclined coiler tube becomes choked with the sliver to the extent that the sliver becomes parted or does not move through the tube and, thus, the sliver builds up between the mouth of the tube and the lower proximal surfaces of the calender rolls and, if not promptly detected. the accumulations of fiber become so compacted between the calender rolls and the upper end of the inclined tube that they cannot be removed, even with a sharp instrument. This sometimes results in damage to the coiler mechanism and sometimes requires that the coiler mechanism be taken apart in order to remove such compacted accumulations of fibers between the calender rolls and the upper end of the tube gear.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for actuating the conventional stop motion of a textile machine, such as a drawing frame or carding machine, in the event of the occurrence of excessive fibers at the mouth or upper end of the inclined tube of a coiler mechanism associated therewith.

It is another object of this invention to provide a stop motion actuating means of the character described including a detector finger positioned between the calender rolls and the mouth of the coiler tube or tube gear of a coiler mechanism and which is normally positioned adjacent one side of the path of travel of a strand ofsliver of proper size and which finger is adapted to be engaged and displaced by the sliver or an excess accumulations of fibers atthe mouth of the tube and thus moved from its normal position and wherein means are provided responsive to such displacement of the finger for actuating the conventional stop motion of the sliver processing machine from which the sliver is drawn by the calender rolls.

. A'drawing frame is generally provided with a rocker shaft which is reciprocated by the conventional driving mechanism of the machine and which has arms depending therefrom and, upon rocking or reciprocating movement of the shaft being interrupted, such as by an obstruction moving into the path of the crank arms, this automatically 2,811,753 Patented Nov. 5, 1957 stops the machine, such as by causing the shifting of a belt shifting lever. Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to provide a stop motion actuating means of the character described wherein the finger is integral with one end of a lever whose other end is normally disposed to one side of the path of travel of a crank arm on the rocker shaft and, upon the finger being moved by accumulations of fibers at the mouth of the tube gear, the other end of the lever moves into the path of one ofthe crank arms to interrupt movement thereof and. consequently, the rocker shaft, and to thereby stop the machine.

In a carding machine, suitable linkage or electrical means may also be connected to a lever, of the character described as being associated with a drawing frame, for actuating a conventional stop motion of the carding machine or, as illustrated in the embodiment of the present invention, a switch is actuated by the lever to, in turn, actuate an electrically controlled stop motion of a carding machine or the like.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds, when taken-in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a drawing frame with parts broken away in order to clearly illustrate one form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a somewhat schematic transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 in Figure 1, but also showing the coiler mechanism in cross section; V Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 33 in Figure 2 showing the detector finger in the position occupied thereby during normal and proper operation of the coiler mechanism;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing how the detectorfinger. is moved to one side of its normal position by accumulations of fibers at the mouth of the sliver coilirig tube;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of a coiler mechanism and a portion of an associated carding machine to which a modified form of the present invention is applied;

b Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the coiler head of Figure 5 taken substan tially along line 66;

Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view partially in section and with parts broken away taken substantially along line 77 in Figure 5; i

1 Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation similar to the upper portion of Figure 5 with parts broken away to show other parts more in detail.

.The present invention is particularly concerned with means to prevent choking of the mouth of the inclined tube of a coiler mechanism by stopping the machine from which the sliver is drawn by the coiler mechanism upon a tendency for such choking to occur. In Figures 1 through 4 of the present drawings, the invention is shown as applied to a conventional drawing frame and in Figures' 5 through 8, the invention is shown in association with the coiler mechanism of a carding machine. The form of the invention shown in Figures 1 through 4 will now be described.

The drawing machine includes a frame or girt 10 which carries roll sections including upper and lower drafting rolls 11, 12 for attenuating slivers of textile fibers S. The slivers S for each section are drawn from a suitable source, not shown, then passed between the upper and lower drafting rolls 11, 12 and thence through a conventional trumpet 14, through which groups of sliver S are drawn and condensed in each instance, by a pair 3 of calender rolls 15, 16 into a larger sliver 8-1. The calender rolls 15, 16 are driven in a conventional manner to cause the sliver S-l, condenser from slivers S by the trumpet 14, to pass through a downwardly and outwardly inclined coiler tube 20 which is usually a part of a conventional tube gear 21., It, will be noted that the coiler tube 20 extends downwardly and outwardly with its mouth disposed substantially axially of the tube gear 21 and, thus, the tube 20 of the tube gear 21 coils the sliver S-1 into a can 22 as the tube gear 21 and can 22 are rotated in the usual manner.

The particular manner in which the various operating parts of the drawing machine are driven does not necessarily constitute elements of the present invention and, accordingly, a further detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary. It might be stated, however, that the usual drawing machine is driven by a continuously driven endless belt 25 which is shifted between tight and loose pulleys 26, 27 mounted on a main drive shaft 30 of the drawing machine. This drive shaft 30 drives conventional gearing, not shown, for driving the drawing rolls 11, 12,,the calender rolls 15, 16, the tube gear 21 t and the can 22. In so doing, the conventional driving mechanism also imparts oscillation to a rocker shaft 35. The rocker shaft functions in a well known manner to stop the machine upon oscillation thereof being interrupted, such as by shifting a belt shifter 36 to move the belt 25 out of engagement with the fixed pulley 26 and into engagement with the loose pulley 27.

conventionally, the rocker shaft 35 may be restrained from rotation by any one of a plurality of spoons 40 over which the slivers S pass by being permitted to move downwardly at their lower ends to cause hooked portions 41 thereon to move into the path of corresponding arms 42 projecting upwardly substantially radially from the rocker shaft 35. The spoons 40 are pivoted on a conventional bar 43 rearwardly of the drawing rolls 11, 12; The rocker shaft 35 also has a plurality of downwardly and substantially radially extending U-shaped crank arms 44 fixed thereon which oscillate between the broken line positions shown in Figures 2 and which, upon engaging a conventional knock-off lever 45 also restrain the shaft 35 from oscillation.

One of the knock-off levers 45 is provided for each roll section or coiler mechanism and it will be observed in Figures 1 and 2 that the rear or free end of each lever 45 is normally disposed immediately above the lateral lower portion of the corresponding U-shaped crank arm 44. Each lever 45 extends upwardly and then forwardly and is pivotally mounted adjacent its front end, as at 46, on a bracket 47 suitably secured to the frame member 10. The forward portion of each lever 45 has a portion 50 thereon which underlies and normally bears against the lower surface of a trumpet supporting lever 52 which is also pivoted at 46 on the bracket 47 and which extends upwardly and overlies the calender rolls 15, 16 and has the corresponding trumpet 14 mounted therein. Thus, the pull of slivers S, condensed through the trumpet 14 by the calender rolls 15, 16, normally maintains the rear end of the knock-01f lever 45 in the position shown in Figure 2. However, upon breakage of the sliver or upon the sliver becoming unduly slackened, the trumpet 14 is permitted to move upwardly thereby permitting the rear end of the lever 45 to move downwardly into, the path of the lateral or lower portion of the substantially U-shaped crank arm 44.

It is apparent that the rocker shaft 35 will subsequently be restrained from movement in a counterclockwise direction in Figure 2 and will thereby stop the machine in the usual manner. The stop motion heretofore described is substantially of the type disclosed in a patent to Charles Mills et al. No. 638,975, issued December 12, 1899. The parts'heretofore described are conventional and it iswith; such or similar parts that the present invention is ar: ticularly adapted to be associated.

As heretofore stated, the calender rolls 15, 16 are spaced closely above the mouth of the coiler tube 20 and, for various reasons, it quite often happens that the sliver ceases to continue its downward movement through the coiler tube 20 and fibers accumulate at the mouth of the coiler tube as shown in Figure 4, for example. These fibers tend to build up at the mouth of the coiler tube to such an extent that quite often, before such accumulations of fibers are detected, they become tightly compacted between the lower surfaces of the calender rolls 15, 16 and the upper surface of the coiler tube 20. At times, the pressure of the fibers between the calender rolls 15, 16 and the upper end of the coiler tube 20 becomes so excessive as to damage or fracture adjacent parts of the machine. For example, they may break the tube gear 21, they may warp the calender rolls 15, 16, they may damage the bearings in which the calender rolls are journaled, etc. Also, the fibers may become so tightly compacted between the calender rolls 15, 16 and'the coiler tube 20 that they cannot be severed by a cutting instrument, such as a knife, thus making it necessary that the calender rolls 15, 16 be removed from the machine for the purpose of removing such accumulations of fibers. It is obvious that this interrupts normal production capacity of the machine and also quite often results in considerable down time.

In order to overcome the above defects, I have pro vided novel means for stopping the machine upon any tendency in the diameter or size of the sliver S-1 to increase above a predetermined size or diameter immediately above the mouth of the coiler tube 20. To this end, I have provided a movable member or detector finger broadly designated at 55 which is in the form of a lever 57 oscillatably mounted intermediate its ends, as at 56, on the frame member 10. The forward end of the lever 57 overlies the upper end of the coiler tube 20 and has a lateral portion 60 thereon provided with a substantially upright portion or feeler tip 61 on its inner end which is normally spaced closely adjacent and to one side of the path of travel of the sliver S-1 as shown in Figure 3, between the calender rolls 15, 16 and the mouth of the coiler tube 20. Although it is not essential, it is preferable that the feeler tip 61 is beveled at its substantially flat surface adjacent the sliver S-l so'that any excess accumulations of fibers at the mouth of the coiler tube 20, which normally would rotate with the coiler tube 20, would move against the beveled surface of the feeler tip 61 to move the same outwardly relative to the sliver S-1 and about the pivot point 56.

The feeler tip 61 extends from a point closely adjacent and beneath the nip of the rolls 15, 16 to a point closely adjacent and above the coiler tube 20 and is normally urged under very light resilient pressure toward the sliver 8-1 by a strand-like torsion spring 62, one end of which is connected to a rear medial portion of the lever 57 and the other end of which is connected to a spring keeper shown in the form of a screw 63 threadably embedded in the frame member 10. The screw also serves as a stop for the lever 57. The rear portion of lever 57 extends downwardly at a point forwardly of the rocker shaft 35 and then rearwardly to form a tail portion 65 thereon which is normally disposed adjacent andto one side of the path of travel of the corresponding reciprocating substantially U-shaped crank arm 44.

It is thus seen that, upon fibers in the sliver S-l accumulating at the mouth of the coiler tube 20 substan tially as shown in Figure 4, such accumulations engage and impart outward movement to the feeler tip 61, moving the lever 57 of the detector finger 55 in a clockwise direction in Figure 1 and thus moving the tail 65 of the lever 57 into the path of travel of the corresponding reciprocating crank arm 44.

As heretofore stated, upon the crank arm 44 being restrained from counterclockwise movement in Figure 2 by any means, such as the knock-off lever 45 or as is team the pi'esent case, by means of .the tail 65 of the lever 7,the drawing machine is automatically stopped. Thus, the possibility of the accumulations of fibers piling up to excess; that is, to the point Where they might damage the machine parts or it would be extremely difficult to remove such accumulations, is avoided since the machine is stopped and it is then a simple matter to remove the accumulations of fibers and to again direct the sliver S-1 downwardly and outwardly through the coiler tube 20.

Modified form of the invention In Figures 5 through 8, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein it is shown in association with acarding machine. Since the general construction of a carding machine and the means by which it is driven are well known, only a brief description of the parts thereof associated with the coiler mechanism thereof will be described. A portion of the discharge end of a carding machine is shown in Figure 5, this view conforming substantially to Figure 3 of U. S. Patent No. 587,267 to John T. Meats et al., dated July 27, 1897. The carding machine includes a frame 70 in which conventional card, calender rolls 72, 73 are mounted, these rolls being driven for drawing a sliver S2 of textile fibers from a conventional dotfer cylinder 74 and, from the calender rolls 72, 73 the sliver S-2 is-drrawn upwardly over a conventional cover75 of a coiler mechanism broadly designated at 76. The cover 75 carries the usual trumpet 77, which condenses the fibers inthe sliver S-2.

The sliver S-2 is drawn through the trumpet 77 by a pair of conventional driven coiler calender rolls 80, 81 which are journaled in bearing blocks 82 suitably secured to a plate or platform 83 carried bythe cover 75. The coiler calender rolls 80, 81 are driven in-a conventional manner in timed relation to the card calender rolls 72, 73.

The coiler 76 also includes a bed plate 84 in which a conventional tube gear or disk 85 is mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and which disk or tube gear has an inwardly and upwardly inclined sliver guiding or coiler tube 86 thereon whose upper end or mouth terminates in axial alinement with the disk or tube gear 85 and also terminates in closely spaced relation beneath the coiler calender rolls 80, 81. The bed plate 84 and disk 85 are normally spaced closely above a can 87 and the bed plate 84 is supported on a hollow column 90 which contains the usual mechanism, not shown, for transmitting rotation to thecalender rolls 80, 81, the tube gear 85 and the can 87 in proper timed relation to the card calender rolls 72, 73.

The present invention may be used for actuating any conventional or other type of stop motion and, in this instance, a portion of a stop motion of substantially the type disclosed in said Patent No. 587,267 is illustrated which includes a horizontal knock-01f lever 92 which is fulcrumed below the calender roll 73, as at 93, on the frame 70 of the carding machine. As is clearly disclosed in said last-named patent, the right-hand portion of the lever 92, which extends into the column 90, normally occupies a raised position during normal operation of the carding machine 74 and, upon the right-hand end of the lever 92 being moved downwardly, this causes stoppage of the carding machine. As heretofore stated, there are various other types of stop motions which may be actuated by the present invention such as that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,852,494 of April 5, 1932, U. S. Patent No. 533,093 of January 29, 1895, U. S. Patent No. 2,554,104 of May 22, 1951 and others. Accordingly, a further detailed illustration of means for effecting stoppage of the carding machine i deemed unnecessary.

Here again, in order to prevent the occurrence of excessive accumulations of textile fibers at the mouth of the coiler tube 86, I have provided a modified form of detector finger broadly designated at 100 which is shown in the form of a lever 101 having a laterally projecting portion 102 on one end thereof whose free end is provided with a feeler tip 103 which is quite similar to the feeler tip 61 shown in Figures 1 through 4. It will be noted that the feeler tip 103 is normally disposed closely adjacent the path of travel of a sliver S-2 of proper size or diameter and, upon the diameter or size of the sliver S-2 increasing above a predetermined size, which would more than likely be caused by the choking of the mouth of the inclined coiler tube 86, the lever 101is then moved in a counterclockwise direction in Figure 7 and the end of the lever 101 opposite from the lateral portion 102 then depresses a spring-loaded plunger of a conventional type of normally open switch 104 to close the same.

The lever 101 is pivotally connected to the lower surface of the platform 83, as at 105, and the switch 104 is also suitably secured to the lower surface of the platform 83. The switch 104 is interposed in an electrical circuit to the coil of a solenoid generally designated at 110 by means of conductors 111, 112. The solenoid 110 is suitably supported in the tubular column and the plunger thereof extends upwardly and is pivotally connected to the corresponding end of the knock-01f lever 92 heretofore described. It is apparent that, upon the switch 104 be} ing closed in the manner heretofore described, the coil of solenoid is energized thus pulling the plunger thereof downwardly to move the lever 92 in a clockwise direc* tion in Figure 5 and to thereby actuate the conventional stop motion of the carding machine.

It is thus seen that I have provided means to prevent choking of the mouth of a coiler tube or tube of a tube gear to the extent that the associated machine, whether it be a carding machine or a drawing frame, is,automatically stopped upon excessive accumulations of textile fibers at the mouth of the coiler tube thereby greatly increasing the productive capacity of the associated machines and providing means whereby the sliver coiled into the can thereby is more uniform than slivers which have been processed through coilers not equipped with a stop motion actuating means of the character disclosed herein.

The present invention, when used on a coiler mecha nism of a carding machine, has the further advantage of preventing the sliver S2 from accumulating on the floor adjacent the carding machine which has been caused, heretofore, by continued rotation of the card calender rolls after fiber accumulations at the mouth of the coiler tube 86 have rendered the coiler calender rolls ineffec tive to draw the sliver therethrough.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a coiler mechanism having a driven inclined coiler tube mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, and driven calender rolls spaced closely above the tube for feeding a sliver of textile fibers into the tube; the combination of a member positioned closely adjacent and entirely to one side of the path of the sliver between the rolls and the tube and being mounted for movement outwardly by excessive fiber accumulations, and means to stop rotation of the rolls and the tube upon such movement of the member.

2. In a carding machine having a coiler mechanism including driven coiler calender rolls and a driven coiler tube mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and having its open upper end defining a mouth spaced closely beneath the calender rolls for receiving a sliver from said rolls; the combination therewith of a detector finger normally disposed closely adjacent and to one side of the path of travel of the sliver in its course between the calender rolls and the mouth of the coiler tube; and said finger being mounted for substantially horizontal movement onfsaid mechanism whereby excessive accumulations of textile fibers at the mouth of the coiler tube impart movement to the detector finger, and means responsive to such movement of the detector finger for stopping the machine. I

3. In a drawing frame having drafting rolls, a pair of calender rolls, a trumpet disposed above the calender rolls for condensing sliver in its course from the drawing rolls to the calender rolls, at least "one downwardly and outwardly inclinedcoile'r tube having its open upper end defining a mouth spaced closely beneath the calender rolls for coiling the sliver directed thereinto from the calender rolls, said drawing frame also having'an oscillatable shaft spaced substantially from said calender rolls and being provided with crank arms thereon, and means under con- 'trol of the shaft for stopping the machine upon move- "merit or said arms being obstructed; the combination of 'a detector finger comprising a lever oscillatably mounted for movement about a substantially vertical axis on said machine, one end of said lever having a laterally extending portion thereon partially overlying the mouth of said tube and having its free end normally spaced closely adjacent and to one side of the path of travel of the sliver between the calender rolls andthe mouth of the tube, means on said lever normallydisposed adjacent the pathof travel of a corresponding arm on said rocker shaft and being movable into the pathof the latter arm upon movement being imparted to said detector finger by a predetermined increase in the size of the sliver entering the mouth of the coiler tube.

4. In a drawing machine having a coiler mechanism including driven calender rolls and a driven inclined coiler tube mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and having its open upper end defining a mouth spaced closely beneath the calender rolls; the combination therewith of a detector finger normally disposed closely adjacent the path of travel of a sliver in its course between the calender rolls and the mouth of the coiler tube; said finger being mounted for substantially horizontal movement on said machine whereby excessive accumulations of textile fibers at the mouth of the coiler tube imparts movement 'to the detector finger, and means responsive to suchv movement of the detector finger for stopping the machine,

5. In a coiler for sliver processihgmachines, said coiler having a trumpet, a pair of calender rolls spaced below the trumpet for drawing a textile sliver through the trumpet, and an inclined coiler tube mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and having its open upper end defining a mouth spaced closely beneath the calender rolls; the combination therewith of a relatively thin detector finger mounted for substantially horizontal movement adjacent said tube, a substantially fiat feeler tip on said finger extending downwardly from a point closely adjacent the nip of the rolls to a point closely adjacent the mouth of the tube and being normally disposed closely adjacent and to one side of the path of travel of the sliver in its course between the calender rolls and the mouth of the coiler tube whereby excessive accumulations of textile fibers at the mouth of the coiler tube impart movement to the feeler tip and the detector finger, and means responsive to such movement of the detector finger for stopping the machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 690,596 Mathewson Ian. 7, 1902 704,704 Meats et al. July 15, 1902 2,712,676 McIntyre July 12, 1955 

